After being overlooked for the Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior received a nod in the FIFA The Best awards, recognizing his exceptional performances during the 2023-24 season. However, one of the most notable votes in the selection came from Lionel Messi, who chose a different player over Real Madrid stars Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which is determined by a panel of journalists, FIFA’s The Best awards involve votes from men’s national team coaches, captains, football journalists, and fans via FIFA’s official website. Voters select their top three choices, with the first pick earning 5 points, second receiving 3, and third getting 1.
As Argentina’s national team captain, Messi had his say in the vote. His top choice for the 2024 award was 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, the breakout star from FC Barcelona. Messi placed his former PSG teammate Mbappe in second with 3 points, while Vinicius Junior came third, earning just 1 point from the legendary forward.
Messi has long praised Yamal, who recently won the 2024 Golden Boy award and has quickly become one of Europe’s brightest young talents. Yamal played a crucial role in Spain’s EURO 2024 triumph, delivering a standout performance in the final against England to secure their first international trophy in 12 years.
Despite being Messi’s top choice for The Best award, Yamal could only finish in 5th place in the voting. With 30 points, the Barcelona prodigy trailed just 1 point behind Dani Carvajal (31), and 7 points below the eventual winner, Vinicius Junior (48). In between them were Jude Bellingham (37) and Rodri (43).
FIFA introduced The Best award in 2016, after parting ways with France Football‘s Ballon d’Or. The new system shifted the focus to votes from soccer professionals, rather than journalists. Since then, Lionel Messi has claimed the prestigious award three times.
Messi’s first win came in 2019, when he was honored after leading Barcelona to a La Liga title, reaching the Champions League semifinals, and finishing as Copa del Rey finalists. He narrowly beat out Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk for the honor.
The second award came in the 2022 edition, although the ceremony was held in February 2023 following Argentina’s World Cup triumph, where Messi was a standout performer.
Messi’s third win came in the 2023 edition of The Best, imposing himself against Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Despite the Manchester City player won the Champions League, Messi was still able to claim the award.
